The document discusses capacitors and capacitance. It explains that a capacitor consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material. A capacitor can store an electrical charge between its plates. Capacitance depends on the plate area, distance between plates, and insulating properties of the material between the plates. Capacitors have various uses including filtering electrical noise, storing temporary power, and functioning as timers in electronic circuits.

1. CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITORS 46

2. Objectives The student should be able to: Prepare for ASE Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) certification test content area “A” (General Electrical/Electronic Systems). Explain capacitance. Describe how a capacitor can be used to filter electrical noise.

3. Objectives The student should be able to: Describe how a capacitor can store an electrical charge. Explain how a capacitor circuit can be used as a timer circuit.

4. CAPACITANCE

5. Capacitance Definition Capacitance is the ability of an object or surface to store an electrical charge

6. Capacitance Definition Around 1745, Ewald Christian von Kliest and Pieter van Musschenbroek independently discovered capacitance in an electric circuit using a device, now called a Leyden jar (glass jar filled with water, with a nail piercing the stopper and dipping into the water)

7. Capacitance Definition In 1747, John Bevis lined both the inside and outside of the jar with foil to create a capacitor with two conductors (the inside and outside metal foil layers) equally separated by the insulating glass

8. Capacitance Definition NOTE: Capacitors are also called condensers. This term developed because electric charges collect, or condense, on the plates of a capacitor much like water vapor collects and condenses on a cold bottle or glass.

9. Figure 46-1 A Leyden jar can be used to store an electrical charge.

10. CAPACITOR CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

11. Capacitor Construction and Operation Construction A capacitor (also called a condenser) consists of two conductive plates with an insulating material (commonly called dielectric) between them

12. Capacitor Construction and Operation Construction This substance is a poor conductor of electricity including air, mica, ceramic, glass, paper, plastic

13. Capacitor Construction and Operation Construction The dielectric constant is the relative strength of a material against the flow of electrical current

14. Capacitor Construction and Operation Construction The higher the number is, the better the insulating properties

15. Chart 46-1 The higher the dielectric constant is, the better the insulating properties between the plates of the capacitor.

16. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation When a capacitor is placed in a closed circuit, the voltage source (battery) forces electrons around the circuit

17. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation Excess electrons collect on what becomes the negatively charged plate, while the other plate loses electrons and becomes positively charged

18. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation Current continues until the voltage charge across the capacitor plates and the source voltage are the same

19. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation The positive plate of the capacitor and the positive terminal of the battery are also at equal positive potentials

20. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation The circuit is in balance when there is a voltage charge across the battery terminals and an equal voltage charge across the capacitor plates

21. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation An electrostatic field now exists between the capacitor plates When the charged capacitor is connected to an external circuit, it discharges and both plates of the capacitor are neutral

22. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation The charge slowly leaks off the capacitor through the dielectric Capacitors should be treated as if charged until proven to be discharged

23. Capacitor Construction and Operation Operation To safely discharge a capacitor, use a test light with the clip attached to a good ground, and touch the terminal with the point of the test light ?

24. Figure 46-2 This simple capacitor, made of two plates separated by an insulating material, is called a dielectric.

25. Figure 46-3 As the capacitor is charging, the battery forces electrons through the circuit.

26. Figure 46-4 When the capacitor is charged, there is equal voltage across the capacitor and the battery. An electrostatic field exists between the capacitor plates. No current flows in the circuit.

27. Figure 46-5 The capacitor is charged through one circuit (top) and discharged through another (bottom).

28. Figure 46-6 Capacitor symbols are shown in electrical diagrams. The negative plate is often shown curved.

29. FACTORS OF CAPACITANCE

30. Factors of Capacitance Capacitance is governed by three factors: The surface area of the plates The distance between the plates The dielectric material

31. Factors of Capacitance The larger the surface area of the plates, the greater the capacitance The closer the plates, the greater the capacitance The insulating qualities of the dielectric material also affect capacitance

32. Factors of Capacitance Measurement of Capacitance Capacitance is measured in farads, named after Michael Faraday (1791–1867), an English physicist

33. Factors of Capacitance Measurement of Capacitance The symbol for farads is the letter F If a charge of 1 coulomb is placed on the plates of a capacitor and the potential difference between them is 1 volt, then the capacitance is defined to be 1 farad (1 F)

34. Factors of Capacitance Measurement of Capacitance A farad is an extremely large quantity of capacitance, so microfarads (0.000001 farad), or μF, are more commonly used

35. USES FOR CAPACITORS

36. Uses for Capacitors Spike Suppression A capacitor can be used in parallel to a coil to reduce the voltage spike that occurs when the circuit is opened

37. Uses for Capacitors Spike Suppression The capacitor absorbs the high voltage and stops it from interfering with other electronic devices

38. Uses for Capacitors Noise Filtering Interference is usually due to alternating current (AC) voltage created somewhere in the vehicle

39. Uses for Capacitors Noise Filtering A capacitor does the following: Blocks the flow of direct current (DC) Allows alternating current (AC) to pass

40. Figure 46-8 A capacitor blocks direct current (DC) but passes alternating current (AC). A capacitor makes a very good noise suppressor because most of the interference is AC and the capacitor will conduct this AC to ground before it can reach the radio or amplifier.

41. Uses for Capacitors Supplemental Power Source A capacitor can be used to supply electrical power for short bursts in an audio system to help drive the speakers

42. Figure 46-9 A 1 farad capacitor used to boost the power to large speakers.

43. Uses for Capacitors Time Circuits Capacitors are used in electronic circuits as part of a timer, to control window defoggers, interior lighting, pulse wipers, and automatic headlights

44. Uses for Capacitors Computer Memory In most cases, the main memory of a computer is a high-speed random-access memory (RAM)

45. Uses for Capacitors Computer Memory Dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) is the most commonly used type of RAM

46. Uses for Capacitors Computer Memory In a DRAM chip, each memory cell consists of a capacitor When a capacitor is electrically charged, it is said to store the binary digit 1, and when discharged, it represents 0

47. Uses for Capacitors Condenser Microphones A microphone converts sound waves into an electric signal All microphones have a diaphragm that vibrates with sound waves

48. Uses for Capacitors Condenser Microphones Electrical component creates an output flow of current at a frequency proportional to the sound waves A condenser microphone uses a capacitor for this purpose

49. CAPACITORS IN CIRCUITS

50. Capacitors in Circuits Capacitors in Parallel Circuits Capacitance is increased by connecting capacitors in parallel Two or more capacitors in parallel increases the plate size, making it possible to store more charge and create greater capacitance

51. Capacitors in Circuits Capacitors in Parallel Circuits Total capacitance is the sum of their individual values

52. Figure 46-10 Capacitors in parallel effectively increase the capacitance.

53. Capacitors in Circuits Capacitors in Series Circuits Capacitance can be decreased in a circuit by capacitors in series Connecting two or more capacitors in series increases the distance between the plates and thickness of the dielectric, decreasing the amount of capacitance

54. Capacitors in Circuits Capacitors in Series Circuits NOTE: Capacitors are often used to reduce radio interference or to improve the performance of a high-power sound system. Additional capacitance can, therefore, be added by attaching another capacitor in parallel.

55. Figure 46-11 Capacitors in series decrease the capacitance.

56. Capacitors in Circuits Suppression Capacitors Capacitors are used across the following: The primary circuit of some electronic ignition modules The output terminal of most alternators

57. Capacitors in Circuits Suppression Capacitors Capacitors are used across the following: The armature circuit of some electric motors

58. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION What Are “Points and Condenser”? Points and condenser are used in point-type ignition systems. Points : A set of points uses one stationary contact and a movable contact that is opened by a cam lobe inside the ignition distributor. ? BACK TO PRESENTATION When the points are closed, current flows through the primary windings of the ignition coil and creates a strong magnetic field. As the engine rotates, the distributor can open the contact points, which opens the circuit to the coil. The stored magnetic field in the coil collapses and generates a high-voltage arc from the secondary winding of the coil. It is this spark that is sent to the spark plugs that ignites the air-fuel mixture inside the engine. Condenser The condenser (capacitor) is attached to the points and the case of the condenser is grounded. When the points start to open, the charge built up in the primary winding of the coil would likely start to arc across the opening points. To prevent the points from arcing and to increase how rapidly the current is turned off, the condenser stores the current temporarily. Points and condenser were used in vehicles and small gasoline engines until the mid-1970s. Figure 46-7 A point-type distributor shown with the condenser from an old vehicle being tested on a distributor machine.